John Calvin Commentary Psalms 21:6

"For thou makest him most blessed for ever: Thou makest him glad with joy in thy presence." — Psalms 21:6 (ASV)

For thou hast set him to be blessings for ever. Some explain these words simply this way: that God had chosen David to be king in order to pour His blessings upon him in rich abundance. But it is evident that something more is intended by this way of speaking.

It implies that the king had such an exuberant abundance of all good things that he might justly be regarded as a pattern of the greatness of divine beneficence; or that, in praying, his name would generally be used as an example of how the supplicant wished to be treated.

The Jews were accustomed to speak of those being set to be a curse, who were rendered so detestable, and on whom the dreadful vengeance of God had been inflicted with such severity, that their very names served for cursing and dire imprecations. On the other hand, they were accustomed to speak of those being set to be a blessing, whose names we propose in our prayers as an example of how we desire to be blessed; as if a person, for instance, should say, 'May God graciously bestow upon you the same favor which He granted to His servant David!'

I do not reject this interpretation, but I am satisfied with the other, which views the words as implying that the king, abounding in all kinds of good things, was an illustrious pattern of God's liberality.

We must carefully note what is said immediately after concerning joy: Thou hast gladdened him with joy before thy countenance. The people not only mean that God did good to the king, seeing that He looked upon him with a kind and fatherly eye, but they also point out the proper cause of this joy, telling us that it proceeded from the king's knowledge of being the object of divine favor.

It would not be enough for God to take care of us and provide for our necessities unless, on the other hand, He also shone upon us with the light of His gracious and reconciled countenance and made us taste His goodness, as we have seen in Psalm 4: There be many that say, Who will show us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us, and we shall be saved. And undoubtedly, it is true and solid happiness to experience God being so favorable to us that we dwell, as it were, in His presence.